Sign the Petition to

Anyone interested in saving our Wildlife and Residents of Saugus.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation the same group who labelled OUR MARSH an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" has been meeting with the Saugus Conservation Commission to remove 350,000 cubic yards of sand from the marsh for a beach restoration project in another town. Save the Wildlife who have made homes here!

Rumney Marsh description by Dept of Conservation and Recreation website “Open year-round, dawn to dusk. Rumney Marsh, a 600+ acre reservation, is located within the rich Saugus and Pines River estuary. This expansive saltmarsh provides habitat for an array of wildlife including migratory birds and marine life. The reservation also provides recreational opportunities such as boating, fishing, walking, and bird watching. It is designated as an "Area of Critical Environmental Concern".

OUR PROBLEM

The Department of Conservation and Recreation the same group who labelled this "Area of Critical Environmental Concern" has been meeting with the Saugus Conservation Commission since the summer to work out a plan to remove 350,000 cubic yards of sand from the marsh, which was supposed to be part of a proposed I-95 extension in the 1970s. However, since the project was abandoned nearly 40 years ago, residents have grown attached to the sand pile, they didn’t want it here to begin with, it was deposited in the middle of marshland but since that time in addition to shorebirds and marine life the sandpile has attracted many new animals including deer, rabbits, coyotes, an eagle was spotted perched on an iceburg here just last month. The residents say the sandpile also acts as a barrier from flooding, the stink of the trash incinerator and traffic from adjacent highway. A google search of Save the Rumney Marsh will direct anyone who wants more information to a Facebook page created by residents.

OUR RIGHTS

Article 97 – Massachusetts Constitution

“The people shall have the right to clean air and water, freedom from excessive and unnecessary noise, and the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic qualities of their environment; and the protection of the people in their right to the conservation, development and utilization of the agricultural,mineral, forest, water, air and other natural resources is hereby declared tobe a public purpose."

1. REQUEST OF THE SAUGUS SELECTMEN _That the Town of Saugus, acting through the policy making body known as the Board of Selectmen, obtain legal review of the title and ownership of the parcels identified in the filing before the Saugus Conservation Commission.

2. REQUEST OF THE SAUGUS CONSERVATION COMMISSION- That the Saugus Conservation Commission seek a qualified wildlife biologist who is independent of the proponent, to perform an assessment of the wildlife that populates this area and that such an assessment be done over several seasons so as to include any migratory patterns. Asking the proponent to assess this matter is unacceptable to the neighbors and other interested parties.

We also request that all recommendations made by Engineering Alliance relative to identification, delineation and compliance be satisfied.

We request that the Saugus Conservation Commission indicate that this document has been accepted into the record as evidence of "participation in the hearing" by the citizens of Saugus and other interested parties. We reserve our right to make further submissions while the hearing remains open.

4. REQUEST OF OUR DELEGATION IN CONGRESS-That Representative John Tierney and Senators Warren and Cowan request executivereview of the previous decision by the Army Corps of Engineers that rejected the use of the Saugus option and issue an executiveorder to use ocean bottom sand that will save millions of dollars and provide more suitable sand for Winthrop.